9 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Start a New Running Workout

When you commit to a running program for the first time, you expect to break a sweat and lose some weight, but it can do so much more for your body and mind. Before you know it you'll be running a 10-minute mile and discovering these hidden benefits of running.

You’ll feel energized

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“After I started running, I had way more energy and I would even wake up at 5:30 a.m. to get it in before work,” says Dawn Hood, CPT, RYT, studio manager of Embody Health in Kirkland, Washington. “Even though I was getting up so early, I stayed energized all day!” (Check out these habits your 80-year old self will thank you for.)

You’ll start eating healthier (without even trying!)

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One of the many benefits of running is that you naturally start to eat a bit healthier because you start to care about how your diet choices will impact your running performance. “When I started running longer distances, I was hungry all the time, but because I was doing so much work I really started thinking about how to fuel my body,” says Hood. “I knew if I had chips for dinner, I would not have the energy for my run.” Check out these 31 healthy snack ideas.